Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic featured prominently at this week’s inaugural pv magazine Virtual Roundtables Europe, which took place this past Tuesday and Wednesday. Not only did the pandemic lead to the virtualization of pv magazine’s established June Roundtables, but it was a big topic in the final session on Wednesday dealing with markets and specifically the further development of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Europe.

Utility-scale solar strength will cover for residential and rooftop PV weakness in 2020, according to SEIA and WoodMac.

The Chinese solar panel making division of the debt-saddled company appears likely to be broken up after admitting creditors will take controlling stakes in its business units following the successful petition of a court in Hebei province.

Austrom Hydrogen, a newcomer to the Australian renewable energy scene, has unveiled plans to develop a large solar project, battery storage system, and hydrogen generation facility in Queensland.

Adani Green Energy is reported to have exercised an option to double the 4 GW of solar generation capacity and 1 GW of cell and module production facilities it secured in a manufacturing-linked solar tender carried out by the Solar Energy Corporation of India in November.

The authorities in Beijing, concerned at ever greater solar production capacity announcements and oversupply fears, are preparing to introduce standards which would bring the recent mono Perc production explosion to a shuddering halt.

Solar developers can submit applications from today. The rules of the procurement exercise were published by the nation’s Directorate-General for Energy and Geology.

Green bonds have experienced rapid growth since their inception in 2007, and participants in the solar energy industry stand to benefit. In 2019, issuers launched over US$250 billion in green bonds offerings, representing 51% growth year over year.

In the wake of Covid-19, IHS Markit lowered its solar forecast from 142 GW to 104 GW. Compared to the 125 GW of solar capacity installed in 2019, the forecast would mean a turnaround from 13.6% annual growth to a 15% contraction. The IHS Markit forecast is based on Covid-19 being controlled and market restrictions being gradually lifted in the second and third quarters of the year.

Felicia Jackson explains why green finance is changing the energy world and is not just a dream for solar fans. Hailing from London, she is a financial expert, a co-founder of New Energy Finance, now Bloomberg NEF, a member of the UN working group that discusses methods for environmental goals, and a professor at the University of London. Jackson will also author a pv magazine white paper on the topic, scheduled to publish this summer.